1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 302 Inland Navy
The sun is shining, the grass is green, and the wide river flows quietly. It originates from the plateaus and mountains, flows through the vast plains, and brings vitality to the people along the coast.

This is the Danube River, the second longest river in Europe. It connects different civilizations and various cultures, and has been a thoroughfare between the East and the West since ancient times.

At this time, the Rhine River shipping and the Elbe River shipping, which were very prosperous in later generations, had not yet fully developed, and the Volga River, the longest river, was an inland river with limited exchanges with the Mediterranean world.

The arrival of the Little Ice Age brought serious impacts on the northern water system. Shipping on the Rhine and Elbe rivers was hit hard, and shipping on the Volga River was no longer what it used to be, not to mention the nine-month freezing period every year in the upper reaches.

As a southern river, the Danube was relatively less affected. In terms of shipping value alone, the Danube at this time can be said to be the number one in Europe.

The plains in the lower reaches of the Danube are all fertile black soil. After the Eastern Roman Empire conquered Bulgaria, it sent a group of royal reclamation teams here, using the prestige and credibility of the royal family and the nobility as a guarantee to attract Greeks to go north to reclaim wasteland.

Since support was needed, technology and materials were definitely indispensable. Dutch engineers built windmills for the emperor, English merchants provided tall horses for the emperor, Spanish smugglers brought Merino sheep to the emperor, and the Khoisan people in South Africa voluntarily offered high-yield Boer goats...

The advancement of agricultural technology and the promotion of new production methods brought vitality to the reclaimed areas of the lower Danube plain. More and more farmland and pastures were divided out, grain, wool and fresh meat were sent to big cities in the south, and cotton clothes, blankets, coke and tools were transported to each farmer's estate.

Due to the massacres by the Turks and the looting by the Cuman cavalry, the entire Bulgarian region became sparsely populated. After years of recovery, large cities or precious resource gathering areas such as the Sofia Basin, Plovdiv Valley, Kazanlak Rose Valley and Dobruja Amber City were developed first and gradually became prosperous. However, the lower Danube plain was still dominated by agriculture and animal husbandry. Only the port of Vidin developed well due to its unique location as a commercial hub. The rest of the scattered towns were surrounded by farms and pastures, and undertook the function of material regulation.

For the same reason, the vast, sparsely populated and flat terrain of the lower Danube Plain did not adopt the ancient village communal system. Each cultivator owned a large amount of land, a large number of livestock and a large number of serfs, and was more like a farmer than an ordinary farmer.

Their land was divided into small square plots located near the Danube and its tributaries, where they raised sheep, cattle, grew wheat, rye, tobacco... whatever they wanted.

This was also the new model that the emperor was preparing to promote. Through the improvement of agricultural technology and the use of large livestock, a piece of land would no longer need so many farmers. Farmers would gradually become "landlords", and the surplus labor force would naturally flow into cities and into various workshops.

It's not that intensive farming is a bad thing, it's just that there aren't enough people to do it.

In order to attract more refugees to reclaim the frontier and stimulate their enthusiasm for production, the emperor promulgated the "Homestead Law" and divided the lower Danube plain into a reclamation area. After the immigrants paid money to register, all the reclaimed land belonged to them and could be passed on to their descendants. It was private property and they only had to pay taxes in proportion.

Of course, although their land was sacred and inviolable private property, before being granted land, they had to sign a permanent agreement with the emperor. In times of emergency, the emperor had the right to requisition all manpower and material resources on their land.

This permanent contract is firmly attached to the land and will not change due to inheritance or sale, and the new generation of owners must abide by it.

In border areas, this model has great benefits, not only in production and construction in peacetime. When foreign enemies invade, the owners of these private fields will defend their land to the death, pick up muskets, mount horses, and fight the invaders to the death.

During the cold waves of the past few years, the lower Danube plain, as the northern border of the empire, naturally suffered from natural disasters. The Black Sea coast was less affected due to the warm current, but the further inland and mountainous the area, the more severe the disaster was.

Of course, since the farmers here have a lot of land and have accumulated a certain amount of wealth from the good harvest before the cold wave, not many people went bankrupt. The promotion of cold-resistant crops and the combination of agriculture and animal husbandry also saved them from the same suffering as the Ottoman people.

By now, several large regions in the lower Danube plain have surpassed the North Macedonian Military District to become the most widely planted areas of potato and rye in the entire empire. In addition to being eaten, these crops can also be used to feed livestock.

The Danube River winds like a ribbon across the flat land, and on the river, a fleet is sailing downstream.

Compared with the powerful navy of the Eastern Roman Empire, this fleet looked much more dilapidated. Many small boats retired from the navy could be found in it, as well as a small number of new galleys.

On the largest paddle boat, a white flag was flying high. On the flag, a large azure fish was swimming in the sky.

This fleet belonged to the inland navy of the Eastern Roman Empire. The big blue fish was obviously one of the specialties of the Danube River, the Danube Tailor.

This galley is the new flagship of the inland navy, the Taino, and is one of the few special galleys built specifically for the inland navy. Because of the need to take the impact of water flow into consideration, it has a lot more rowers than ordinary galleys, and there are reserved towing points, so it can sail upstream in the lower reaches of the Danube.

On the Taimen, Canute, the captain of the inland navy, was lying in front of the table, studying the map on the table.

Canute had served as a junior officer in the Eastern Roman Navy and was one of the veterans of the inland navy. He had led immature sailors to participate in the Bulgarian War several years ago, made some contributions, and also made the emperor see the special role of the inland navy.

Since the establishment of the inland navy, the army and the navy have been fighting for the command of the inland navy and have been entangled in this for a long time.

In terms of composition, most of the ships of the inland navy are old small boats eliminated by the naval fleet, and most of the sailors and officers also come from the naval system. They still have a certain centripetal force and sense of belonging to the navy.

However, from the perspective of strategic function, the inland navy is more inclined towards the army and is mainly responsible for assisting the army in completing landing or transportation tasks, and has little to do with the navy.

Finally, the emperor grew tired of the bickering and with a stroke of his pen, he placed the riverine navy under his direct jurisdiction, while handing over wartime command to the army commander.

For seven years, the inland navy mainly operated in the lower reaches of the Danube and did not participate in any war missions. It usually provided some protection for merchant fleets, attacked the Wallachian smuggling boats, and transported supplies for the Rifle Corps and the Royal Mounted Police...that's all.

Of course, this is only because there is no war in the northern part of the empire, which does not mean that the inland navy has no value.

In fact, the Eastern Roman Empire had three main road systems and post station systems in Bulgaria, namely the Emperor's Road connecting Constanta to the north from Constantinople, the Black Iron Road connecting Adrianople and Plovdiv to the northwest from Constantinople, and the Rose Road connecting Rose Valley and Sofia to the west from Burgas. All of them are first-class roads with good road conditions.

There is currently no first-class road from west to east in the entire lower Danube plain, and commercial communication between the Vidin Region and the Constanta Military District mainly passes through the Blue Danube River.

In order to control the Danube River east of Vidin, the emperor built three large artillery batteries along the river, which also served as tax collection platforms. Each artillery battery was large enough to cover half of the river surface, and the remaining half of the river surface had to rely on the blockade and interception of the inland navy.

The Danube River connects many countries and has been a busy commercial river since ancient times. Goods from upstream countries can sail downstream from the Black Sea directly to Constantinople. Goods from the Eastern Roman Empire can also travel all the way from here to Belgrade, Budapest, Vienna and even Munich.

Of course, under normal circumstances, ships carrying goods from downstream to upstream can only go as far as Budapest. The water in the upper reaches of the Danube is relatively turbulent, the speed is too slow, and the cost is too high, so it is not worth it.

In fact, in the Danube River shipping, merchants often have a "ladder division of labor" phenomenon. The Vienna fleet transports the goods to Budapest and then returns, the Budapest fleet transports the goods to Belgrade, and the Belgrade ship merchants continue to transport them downstream.

This was a huge business opportunity, and the Eastern Roman Empire quickly took advantage of it. Some caravans began to specialize in shipping on the lower Danube, loading goods from Constantinople onto ships that sailed into the Danube, unloading the goods in Vidin, and handing them over to other merchants.

The Port of Vidin was the home port of the Eastern Roman inland navy. The Vidin Fort was the largest of the forts built by the Eastern Roman Empire on the Danube River, firmly guarding the downstream waterway that belonged entirely to the Eastern Roman Empire.

The Vidin tax station levied different taxes on various commodities, imposing heavy taxes on the inflow of foreign commodities and relatively light taxes on the outflow of domestic commodities, thereby protecting domestic industries.

This strategy will greatly hinder the development of commerce, but it is not an unforgivable sin. All coastal countries do this, and even different lords and cities will collect additional taxes.

Therefore, during these days, the inland navy often acted as "water police" and cracked down on tax evasion. Although it was a leisurely job, it also made them feel very frustrated.

Boom boom boom!
There was a knock on the door of the captain's room. Canute stopped writing and reluctantly turned his eyes away from the map marked with marks.

"Come in!"

The chaplain of the river navy came in and handed a document to Canute.

"This is the selection result of the new batch of officers. Please take a look."

Canute glanced over it, signed his name on it, and stamped it with the blue Taimen seal.

"That's it. Let them take up their posts as soon as possible."

"So fast!"

The priest was a little surprised.

"Don't you usually give them a month of special training?"

Canute smiled, took out his cigarette case and lit a cigarette for himself.

"In your opinion, what is the purpose of our voyage this time?"

"Isn't it just a normal patrol? Sailing from Vidin Battery to Tulcea Battery to crack down on smuggling ships."

The priest was confused.

"Haha, this time it's different."

Canute smiled mysteriously and pointed at the map on the table with his cigarette butt.

"You were busy selecting officers before, and you may not have read the emperor's order carefully."

"The emperor asked us to go to Constantinople and wait for orders after completing the mission. It is impossible that it is just for normal cruising."

"According to my guess, we may be about to go to war. There will be no time for special training for officers. Let them learn on the battlefield."

"Fight? Fight against whom?"

The priest was somewhat surprised.

"Probably the Ottomans."

Canute looked at the map of Anatolia on the table.

"Anatolia has many rivers, and the lower reaches of these rivers are mostly flat valleys. If the emperor wants to open up a second battlefield and bypass the Ottoman army gathering area, he may choose the estuary of a large river as a breakthrough point." "Inland river navigation is our specialty. With our help, the army will be able to attack coastal towns with ease."

"I think this is a great opportunity to break the strategic deadlock. The emperor cannot fail to see it."

The priest asked for the map and looked at it.

"Then which river's estuary do you think we should land at?"

"Yeshil River, Kyzyl River, Menderes River, Kisit River?"

"It's unclear at the moment. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. It depends on what the emperor's purpose is."

Canute thought.

“For example, the Kist River, although not a big river, the city of Ephesus is located at the mouth of this river, and it has great religious significance.”

"Forget it. This is not our business. No matter what the emperor thinks, may God bless him."

The priest returned the map to Canute and made the sign of the cross on his chest.

"We haven't fought a war in so many years, and I don't know how much fighting power we still have."

The priest sighed.

"No problem. You don't think we can really encounter Ottoman warships. They have very few warships, and their inland navy is completely empty."

Canute chuckled.

"We are just providing assistance to the Army."

"Before, you always said that our inland navy was the emperor's abandoned child. We were obviously regular troops, but we were used as water police. We always talked about fighting and making achievements."

"Now that the opportunity has come, why don't you show your best?"

"Okay, I'll inform the officers and ask them to prepare for the ocean voyage!"

The priest nodded.

"We take the fleet to the Black Sea for training every year, so that their skills don't get rusty. Now they are finally being put to good use."

"If I stay on the Danube for too long, I might even forget how to deal with the wind and waves."

The priest smiled, opened the door and left.

Canute continued to look at his map, but after a while he still had no clue.

He grunted, put out his cigarette, put the map away, and pushed the door open.

The scenery on the Danube River is very beautiful. It is relatively warm this year and it is the end of summer. The wheat and rye have been harvested, and the barley seedlings are almost mature. The serfs are harvesting. The golden wheat waves dance in the wind, and the oncoming breeze is mixed with the fragrance of wheat.

In the distant meadow, large herds of cattle and sheep were grazing on the grass. A few cows turned their heads leisurely and mooed at the fleet on the river.

Around the livestock, the ranch owner rode on a horse, holding a whip and patrolling everywhere, while the sheepdog lay on a high place, squinting his eyes, observing any movement around him.

"It's a nice place, isn't it?"

After a while the priest came over.

"Yes, the wind here is sweet, unlike my hometown."

"Your hometown? Why have I never heard you mention it? Where is it?"

the priest asked curiously.

"Constantinople."

Canute shook his head sadly.

"You don't know, in recent years, the pollution near the workshop area has become increasingly serious. I..."

The priest turned his head away and ignored him.

"You are from Vidin?"

Seeing that the priest was silent, Canute changed the subject.

"Yes, I was born and raised in Vidin, and later went to study at the seminary, and then I got on your pirate ship."

"The lower Danube plain is a very good place, especially the city of Vidin, a commercial hub."

The priest curled his lips, slightly proud.

"Unfortunately, the tax on foreign goods at the Weiding Tax Station is too high. Only those particularly precious goods will enter the empire despite the high tax."

"But those precious commodities will not be unloaded at Vidin Port. They will just go down the river to Constantinople with customs clearance."

The priest curled his lips.

"It can't be helped. The Hungarians and Austrians also charge the same."

Canute shrugged.

"There are no additional taxes within the empire. Once His Majesty the Emperor seizes the land that originally belonged to the Grand Duke of Serbia from the Hungarians and opens the waterway to Belgrade, the port of Vidin may develop."

"By then, the importance of our inland navy will increase exponentially, and I might even be able to get a knighthood?"

Canute chuckled.

The fleet sailed smoothly and at a very fast speed. The river became wider and wider, and the water in the distance changed color from azure to khaki.

The river water rushed to the sea carrying mud and sand, which was deposited at the estuary. After countless years of accumulation, the fertile Danube Delta was formed here.

"Want to go to the Tulcea Battery?"

The priest asked, pointing to a large artillery position on a hillside ahead.

There is a small town to the south of the fort, and farms and pastures are scattered around it, also a scene of harvest.

"No need, just wave the flag to them and we'll leave now."

Canute shook his head.

The flag of the Taimen changed, sending out flag signals.

"The river navy is passing the forts and heading for the sea!"

The observer on the Tulcea Battery received the flag signal and also waved a small flag to greet the Taimen.

“May God bless you and have a safe journey!”

The dim yellow river water formed a fan-shaped shape at the estuary, and outside the fan was darkness, gloomy and silent.

The Black Sea is right in front of us.

The war is at hand.

(End of this chapter)